


A reason

by Chaolina



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: "we'd stay up all night whispering about... you know... whatever", M/M, Only one bed - camping edition, Soulmates, help this is gonna be a long fic, kai does not know what self-preservation means, kinda like hanahaki disease, lloyd cannot handle another oblivious idiot, nya is very patient with her brother even when he's unsufferable, oppositeshipping - Freeform, oppositeshipping in the end, zane is worried
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaolina/pseuds/Chaolina
Summary: Kai's powers go crazy all the time, nothing new.But he never had a crush on one of his teammates before.Kai's powers never went crazy like this. And they might consume him.
Relationships: Kai/Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 79





	1. The Fire Within

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyyy guess who wanted to write a short cute oppo fic but ended up with a much longer thing hahaha kill me
> 
> It's gonna have multiple chapters (if my motivation doesn't fail me) so stay tuned !

"Kai."

He was in the infirmary, again. It was his own fault, really. Rushing into battle can be dangerous, especially when you mix recklessness and fire powers. He winced at the memory of the burns on his arms. I mean, you should see the other guy, but still.

"Kai-"

But he had been DYING to test some new moves he came up with. Playing with fire on the Bounty was out of the question - since it was, you know, made of wood - and as the most unpredictable element of the team, letting him use his powers often ended up in bad situations. Which it did today too. He really didn't mean to push himself as far as he did. Well, maybe he did a little bit. But he didn't mean to injure himself this bad, that's for sure.

"Kai !" 

A pair of fingers snapped before his eyes, getting his attention back. 

Zane's blue eyes expressed some annoyance at Kai drifting off during the examination. It's hard to put bandages on someone if they don't pay attention, and even harder if your goal is not to hurt them too much.

"I said, please lift your arm up."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Thank you. This may sting a little."

The ninja did as he was told, a little embarrassed to be treated like a child who fell out of a bicycle. He told Zane multiple times he was fine but the nindroid wouldn't let him go until he agreed to let him at least clean his wounds. He liked the attention, sure, but Zane was kinda angry at him so the conversation wasn't great. Still, he tried breaking the ice.

"So, um... What's up ?"

"Your arm," Zane said without missing a beat.

Kai chuckled. "No, that's... I mean it's true but- Well, I meant to ask what was new. In your life. It's not the first time you, uh, tend to my injuries, and I was wondering how you've been since last time, heh."

"It is indeed becoming a common occurrence, yes." Focused on Kai's other arm now, he said nothing more. 

Ouch. The cold in Zane's voice hurt him a little more than his burns. He must've been really angry this time. Nonetheless, he was still very gentle when caring for Kai, and the master of fire was grateful for that.

As Zane was cleaning up the medical supplies, Kai hopped off the examination table. He did feel better now that his burns were covered.

"Thanks, Zane."

"Hmm."

The nindroid was tense, Kai could see that. He must've been worried about him. As he reached for the door handle, the other spoke again.

"No matter what I tell you, you're still going to go into battle without any regards for your personal safety, correct ?"

Kai scratched the back of his neck. It's not like he wanted to get hurt ! He just... Forgot he could.

"Well..."

"Could you at least promise me not to jump head first into danger for no reason ? And not over-use your powers ?"

"I can't make any promises but-" The red ninja stopped, noticing the look of hurt on Zane's face. He was serious. Kai felt his heart ache a little, for a few seconds. It's probably just because he felt bad.

"-buuuut I guess I can make this one anyway. Okay, I will try not to get hurt unless I have a very good reason."

Zane let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you. You're free to go now." 

'At least it's better than nothing', he thought.

"Alright, see ya."

Closing the door behind him, Kai took a deep breath. He traced the edge of the bandage with his finger, admiring the work. Damn, Zane really is perfect in everything. 

Wait, it's not weird to think that, is it ? Yes, Zane was a robot so he was programmed to be perfect but... This sounded weird. Ugh, now he was feeling weird ! It was probably nothing anyway. 

He just hoped he'd get to clear his head soon.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"Okay. Everybody listening ? Looking at you, Kai."

"Yeah, yeah. Go on."

Lloyd was briefing them on a new mission they needed to go through with. Turned out, the bad guys they fought - it was the battle when Kai injured himself again - weren't operating alone. There was a bunch of them still in hiding in Ninjago. 

It was pretty a simple plan, just go there, capture them and hand them over to the police. But no elemental powers. It needed to be quick and clean.

Kai groaned. Just his luck.

He could feel his chest heating up, the sign of restless fire building up inside his body. If one thing set it off...

A soothing cold hand touched Kai's shoulder. He shivered at the difference in temperature. He turned his head, and met Zane's concerned eyes. 

"Are you alright ? You seem tense. And your body heat..."

"Don't worry 'bout it, Tincan," he said, using Cole's nickname for the master of ice. What could he say, it's a cute name ! Suiting for Zane, then. Wait, what ?

He almost blushed as the words formed in his head. It was a little bit strange to be having that kind of thoughts for a teammate, right ?

Suddenly Kai realised he had paused, and that Zane was waiting for him to continue. He could always think about this later.

"Uh yeah, um, it's just my powers that thing again. You know, when I don't use them a lot and I get under some stress it just... I'd say builds up ? Inside my body. That's why I'm so hot all the time," he winked at the nindroid.

He could've swear he saw him blush for a few seconds. 

It's just because Kai is so good at flirting, isn't it ? Yeah, that's gotta be it.

The others exchanged a knowing look.

Lloyd sighed. "Not again..."

"What ?"

"Nothing. You're getting distracted. Focus."

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"Okay guys, this is it. Remember the plan. This is a VERY simple plan so I'm trusting you not to mess up. Again, looking at you, Kai."

Ignoring the red ninja's groaning, the group nodded back at Lloyd in response. They were on the roof of the bad guys' hideout. 

Kai felt a hand on his shoulder. He was slightly disappointed when he saw it was only Lloyd. He should've guessed though, the hand wasn't cold.

"I know you don't mean to be reckless but..." Lloyd shot a glance at Zane, who was listening to Jay and Cole argue about something stupid, as always. He seems at ease. But also, he was looking at Kai. "...Please be careful this time. Don't get hurt. Some people may fight better knowing they don't have to worry about you."

Strange thing to add, but he was going to anyway. He promised again he would do everything he could to not burn himself to a crisp. He then made his way towards the master of ice, who was sitting with the others.

"Need a hand ?" He offered one to help him stand up.

"I'd appreciate it very much." His friend grabbed it and pulled himself up.

"Everyone ready ?" Lloyd asked. "Okay, it's showtime." 

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

It was chaos.

People running everywhere. Furnitures sent flying across the room. People also sent flying across the room. 

The villains were losing hard. Some of them questioned their life choices, and why they chose to be criminals in a town protected by a team of trained heroes with god-like powers - which they didn't even use today. Not a very smart choice indeed.

And so it was over quickly, the bad guys neatly tied up together and handed over to the police. An easy victory that lifted the team's spirits.

Apart from a few scratches here and there, Kai wasn't hurt. A few band-aids and that would be it. The fire was still burning in his chest though, but it was all worth it when he saw Zane's smile after the latter checked him for injuries. The master of ice wasn't cold in his behavior, funnily enough, but he still didn't smile that often. So when he did... It soothed Kai a little. He didn't know why the nindroid had this effect on him, but he didn't care. It was nice.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

So, he continued. He continued being careful with his powers, and actually listening to the plans (he swore he did before too, but nobody believed him. They were right).

Zane always smiled. It became a comfort. Actually, thinking of Zane made his powers less painful to control. When he'd put his hand on his shoulder, a small thing he did when he felt Kai's stress level rising, it was enough to make him smile too.

But he missed their little chats when they were alone in the infirmary. So, he'd find excuses to have Zane look after him, like getting scratched or having a sudden headache. It was believable most of the time, and everyone just assumed it was just Kai being clumsy and/or a drama queen as usual. But he felt like Zane was starting to catch on. 

"I cannot believe you managed to cut yourself with paper three times in a row today," the nindroid mumbled as he finished applying band-aids to Kai's fingers.

"First time was an accident. I was trying to set the paper on fire after that, but I couldn't get a good grip on it..."

"Ah yes, now I can believe it."

Kai looked at his hand, clean and protected. He smiled and ignored the fluttering in his stomach. They were just best friends. That's the effect best friends have on others, right ?

"You have got to be more careful, Kai."

"Yeah, but it's not like I do it on purpose !" He bit his tongue. He didn't lying to Zane, but technically he didn't break their promise, as he had a good reason to get hurt. 

Having a little normal, friendly chat with his best friend who makes his heart skip a beat when their eyes meet is a good reason, right ? 

Yep, totally normal stuff. Totally how friendships are supposed to make you feel. Totally not liking Zane as more than a friend. Nuh-uh, no sir. 

"Kai ?" The cold, caring hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. He had to consciously stop himself from putting his own on top of it. Eager to hide how flustered he was getting, he responded without thinking.

"Uh, yeah, wha- um, what ?" 

Great, real smooth.

"You would tell me if something was bothering you, yes ?" Kai's heart skipped a beat again, but not in a good way.

So Zane did pick up on something. Fortunately it wasn't the important part of the problem.

"Yeah no, don't worry, I'm fine ! Everything's fine, no one is bothered here. Are you bothered ? Because I'm not..."

Finally he decided to just close his mouth before more stupid stuff came out. It was a miracle Zane didn't say anything after that. It was literally the least innocent response he could've given ! Great job, Kai. Great job.

"...Alright. I will be over there, cleaning up."

"Okay ! Bye ! See ya !"

He ran out, almost tripped and fell on the way to his room but ended up reaching it unscathed.

Sitting on the bed, his head in his hands, Kai replayed the scene in his mind. What was that ? Why did he lose his cool like that ? He had nothing to hide, apart from the fact he was intentionally hurting himself in small ways just to have some time close to Zane, no big deal ! 

Urg, who was he kidding.

Kai wasn't a complete idiot. He knew what he was feeling wasn't friendship. He actually knew very well what kind of attraction that was.

"Why did I have to be such a disaster gay," he mumbled. "One, I fall for my best friend, two, I deny it, three, I still get flustered around him... It's so cliché it sounds like a show Nya and Jay would watch."

God, he was pathetic. 

He just hoped no one had noticed.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"So, how's it going with Zane ?"

Kai almost choked on the water he was drinking, which made Nya chuckle. She raised an eyebrow and smiled as Kai tried to hide his blush.

"Wha- What do you mean, how's it going ? How's what going ?"

"Oh, I don't know. You just seemed to be getting closer lately," she said, checking her nails like she was just making small talk.

"I... We are as close as usual. Nothing's changed."

"Tell that to someone that didn't live with you since they were born."

She had her 'Don't even try to lie to me' look in her eyes. Kai had seen it many times. None of which ended well for him. Even if Nya was his younger sister, she seems to hold a fair bit of power over him, and she would use that privilege at just the right occasions.

"Is that an interrogation ? I want a lawyer."

"Fine. Maybe I'll ask Zane, then." 

"WAIT !- uh, I mean. Don't... Don't bother him. I'll talk." 

He sighed in defeat.

"That's more like it." 

She made herself confortable on the living room couch and tapped the seat next to her.

Once they were both on the couch, Nya motioned for him to start. 

"I..."

He looked around, making sure no one else was listening, and lowered his voice.

"I think... I may have a crush on Zane."

"May ?" Nya raised a brow, not convinced. He groaned. 

"Okay fine ! I'm sure I have a crush on him. And... I've been sure for some time now. There, ya happy ?"

"Yes !" Nya's eyes were twinkling with glee. "That's awesome !"

"What ? No !" Kai responded, red as his gi. "It's so embarrassing and my powers are going crazy because of it !"

"Psh, your powers are going crazy all the time."

"I know but... It's different with him."

"Uh ? How so ?"

"I feel warm when I think of him, y'know ? And when I think about him too long, like about how caring and patient he is, how nice he looks, how cool he is when he fights, I-"

He was interrupted by a jolt of pain, orange light glowing from his chest. It was stronger than before. He winced.

"...This happens. And it's getting harder to bear. Though, it's usually yellow. Orange is new."

Nya's eyes grew wide with worry. "Uh oh... I think I've seen this kind of light before. And it's not a good sign..."


	2. A Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy guess who's back with a second chapter hahahaaa enjoy
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a comment if you like the story ! I'd love to hear your thoughts ♡

"This is what I was afraid of."

Surrounded by scrolls, Nya's brows furrowed in concern. Kai was looking over her shoulders, trying to make out something of the mess of symbols painted on the ancient paper.

"How long exactly have you had this burning feeling in your chest because of your powers ?"

"I guess... Since I discovered them ? The first time I fought a battle with them after that."

"And when did it start to get painful ?"

He looked away, embarrassed. "When Zane bandaged my injuries for the first time," he mumbled.

"That was like, five months ago, correct ?"

"Yep."

She seemed to look for a specific paragraph in the text, found it, and looked at Kai.

"Okay. So there's a legend about the origin of elemental powers. More specifically, fire powers."

She paused, trying to find her words. She looked preoccupied. Kai did not like that look one bit.

"Apparently, fire came from the passion of two lovers. Their bond was so powerful it manifested in the form of flames. And they swore to eachother that if they were to die, the fire within them would bring them together again."

Nya noticed Kai's puzzled look. "Reincarnation," she explained.

"Oh."

"And since the lovers were humans, they did eventually die. So it's said that the wielders of fire have to find their soulmate again, to prove they are worthy of the passion they inherited."

"Sounds harmless enough," Kai noted. "What's the catch ?"

"Well basically, if you don't manage to find your soulmate and confess to them by the time your light turns red, the fire inside will consume you because it'll think you're an impostor. Burnt to a crisp, like your arms but much more painful and deadly."

She paused for a second, then continued.

"There's two ways to avoid that fate. One, you find your  
soulmate, obviously. Two, you release all the extra tension by using your powers, but all at once. Very dangerous, you'll definitely get bad burns and you won't be able to use your powers for a few weeks."

"Yeah, the first option sounds better... Plus I promised Zane I wouldn't get hurt carelessly anymore."

"Awww, that's so cute ! I was wondering why you were so careful lately." She ruffled his hair.

"Don't 'aww' me !" He stuck his tongue out at her and pushed her hand away. "Ugh. Anyways, how do you find a soulmate ? There's millions of people in Ninjago City alone !"

She looked at the scroll again.

"There's a temple on a place called Miracle Mountain. You're supposed to perform a ritual inside that'll lead you straight to them. But if you're lucky you've already found them, you just have to confess..." She winked at him.

Kai blushed, understanding what she meant.

"Nuh-uh, no way it's Zane ! I'm sure doesn't like me like that anyways !"

"Are you sure ?" She looked at him like she knew something he didn't. Unfortunately, Kai didn't notice.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. I would've seen it otherwise."

"Kai. I love you, but you're the most oblivious guy I know. Trust me, it won't hurt to at least try."

"Haha, very funny. But I don't have much time to mess around, remember ? So how do you go to that Miracle Mountain ?"

She sighed in defeat.

"So first you go through Birchwood Forest..."

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

The others looked at the Smith siblings, incredulous. 

"You're going on a secret mission ?"

"Why can't we come ?"

"How long will you be gone ?"

Nya was about to explain that it'll be as long as it'll take for Kai to stop being stubborn and actually own up to his feelings because it might save his life and a lot of time, but Kai spoke first.

"Guys, do you know what "secret" means ? We can't tell you anything even if we wanted to."

'Oh we can, and I swear I will if you don't stop being annoying', she thought to herself. Having to go on a trip with her brother alone was less than ideal, especially when he was in a bad mood. If only there was something to make the journey more bearable...

Then, an idea came to her.

"Let's bring Zane too."

She was faced with a wave of protestations and interrogations until she shot them a look, then stared and Kai and Zane next to eachother. The shouts died down.

"Fine. But be careful," Lloyd said. "We can't afford someone to be injured now. Looking at you, Kai."

"Yeah, yeah, I already promised that to Zane." Jay smirked, ready to tease him about it, but Cole put his hand on his mouth to shut him up. 

"Okay, then good luck and stay safe."

The three of them nodded in unison. 

"We will."

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"Uuuuughh... Are we there yet ?"

"Kai I swear- It's only been an hour since we left ! Look at Zane. He hasn't whined once, unlike you."

"Zane's a robot."

The nindroid chuckled.

Walking through Birchwood Forest was the first part of the trip. The place was still covered in snow, silent and calm. Like the last time they were here. The only sounds were their steps in the snow. And Kai's interventions.

"I don't know about you guys, but I like the quiet of this forest. Very relaxing," Nya said, taking a deep breath. "It smells fresh."

"Well you better appreciate the scenery quickly because we have to move. The mission has to be done fast, remember ?"

"Speaking of the mission," Zane chimed in, "I don't suppose you can brief me on it ? It would be useful to know where we're going, maybe I'd come up with a shortcut," he added, pointing at the map in Nya's satchel.

She smirked.

"Zane, what do you know about soulm- Ouch !" She was cut off by Kai elbowing her in the ribs.

"We're looking for a temple. On this place called Miracle Mountain. I'm supposed to find something to avoid getting burned alive by the fire in my chest."

His sister frowned. "Coward," she whispered.

"Shut up."

"Wait, what ? Are you in danger ? Why didn't you inform me sooner ?" The panic in Zane's voice squeezed the fire elemental's heart.

Nya swooped in. "He didn't want to worry you-"

"Everyone ! Didn't want to worry everyone. It's not that big a deal."

If looks could kill, Kai's angry glare would've vaporized the master of water on the spot. She stuck her tongue out at him in response, because if it was what it took to get Kai to accept his and Zane's bond and not die, she was willing to suffer a few dirty looks.

"Oh." 

The fire elemental could sense the nindroid didn't believe him. Oh well, he'd get over it. Maybe. 

Probably.

A notification sound caught their attention. Zane's system finished calculating the fastest route. His eyes were moving rapidly, like he was reading something the siblings couldn't see. He then took the map and started explaining.

"When we are out of the forest, we'll cut through here. This path should lead us directly at the base of the mountain, and we'll save a day or two. It is a little more hostile, but nothing we can't handle."

Kai liked how handsome the white ninja was when he was focused: His eyes shining, deep in thoughts, his voice soft but determined... 

His inner fire suddenly became painful, drawing a cough out of and attention at the master of fire. Great. This was gonna be fun.

Especially if it was going to happen every time he thought of Zane who was travelling right next to him. Thanks a lot, Nya.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

As the sun was setting and the forest was flowing with vibrant pinks and oranges, the ninja decided to set up camp. Kai was on fire duty, while Nya built the tents and Zane kept watch. Finding dry wood was pretty easy, considering he could melt any ice stuck on the branches. However, not setting fire to the entire forest was a bit more difficult, because Kai's powers acted like they had a mind of their own and wanted to be let out. He had to make a very small flame to be able to keep control. 

Eventually the campfire was lit and the tents set up, so they gathered around the warm light as the last sunrays withered out.  
Nya and Kai started eating, Zane watching them as he didn't need to. He could, but carrying additional weight wasn't exactly a good idea, so they only packed food for two.

"Say, Zane," Nya asked, still concerned, "Don't you get hungry watching everyone eat when you don't ?"

"No, do not worry. I don't experience the need to sustain myself like you do." He yawned. "But my father did program a sleep schedule to avoid overwhelming my system. I'm almost the full package when it comes to acting human," he chuckled.

"Yeah, 'cause you're a human. With a few things added, but still human," Kai said.

"You really think so ?" The nindroid's eyes displayed a softness only Kai could bring out. Nya had noticed it a while back. She smiled fondly at the sight of her two oblivious teammates. 

"It's a fact." The fire elemental smiled at the other boy. A light blue colored his cheeks. 

For a second, Kai wondered if Zane was blushing. He then told himself it was just a weird reflection of the light on his metal skin. It made more sense than the idea of him making the white ninja blush... Though, he'd have to try someday. Just to see his cute stoic face embarrassed. 

Suddenly he realized what he had done when a wave of pain washed over him, forcing him to bend over, his eyes closed. Luckily it only lasted a couple of seconds, but judging from the horrified look on his friends' faces, his troubles were going to last much longer.

But he wasn't going to let that happen.

Before they could voice their concerns, Kai shut them down. "It's okay, don't worry, I'm fine. I just swallowed wrong and it went down painfully. Nothing to freak out about." He really hoped they would buy it.

Exept he both of them clearly saw the red ninja's chest light up with the same orange hue from before. However, they also knew Kai would never admit it and avoid the subject until tomorrow morning. They looked at eachother, agreed with a discreet nod to let it go for now and started cleaning up.

Once finished, they decided to let Nya keep watch first and let the boys go to sleep.

"By the way, Tent number 2 is mine. You guys'll have to share the other."

Kai stopped dead in his tracks. 

"What !?"


	3. Truths Better Untold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy :)  
> Yeahhhh I'm writing this at night in my bed plus english's not my native language so sorry for mistakes enjoy the idiots uwu

"What do you mean we have to share the tent ?"

"I mean we only have two tents, one of which is mine because I'm not changing nor sleeping next to you guys, so the solution for everyone to sleep in a tent is for you two to share one."

Zane nodded. It was only logical, after all. Well, kind of. But he wasn't going to argue with Nya. And he didn't mind sharing the tent with the hothead.

Kai did not nod. Kai was not a logical person. Kai was also not an observant person.

"But- wh- You won't even be sleeping in yours for the next couple of hours !"

"Yeah, and ?" She raised a brow. "You'd still have to move when I'm done keeping watch, plus you stink so I don't want your body odor on my stuff. You guys shared a room back at the monastery, you're used to eachother !"

He raised a finger to counter her arguments, but nothing came to mind. Damn it ! 

It's hard to battle someone who wants the same thing as you...

"If it really makes you uncomfortable, I can sleep outside. I do not mind." 

Oh great, now Zane thinks he made him uncomfortable. Sighing in defeat, he pat the white ninja's arm.

"No, don't. I don't mind sharing the tent. Come on, let's get to bed."

"Ugh, finally. Goodnight, boys."

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Zane's breathing was calm and slow. He was sleeping. The fabric of the tent was transparent enough to let a ghostly moonlight shine through and bounce of the ninja's metallic skin. From his slightly open mouth, little puffs of steam danced in the pale light.

Kai was awake. Mindlessly, his hand reached for his friend's hair and ruffled it. It was very soft. 

It wasn't the first time he touched Zane's hair, actually. He used to mess it up as a joke, until he realise that didn't phase the nindroid, so he stopped. 

He missed the feeling.

Before he knew it, his chest lit up. It wasn't more painful that last time, but it still sucked. Kai swore under his breath.

Apparently he wasn't as quiet as he wanted to be, or maybe the light was too bright, because Zane moved a little, groaning. The nindroid put his hand on Kai's shoulder. All the tension in his body vanished, and the light changed color, from the fiery orange to a reassuring white. 

The fire elemental didn't know if he was more shocked from all the pain disappearing so fast or flustered from the ice elemental touching him, but his heart was beating so fast he thought he was gonna stop.

"Mmh... Kai ?" Zane mumbled, sitting up straight to wake himself up. "What happened ?"

"N-Nothing, Frosty. I'm okay." He hoped the other couldn't see his cheeks getting redder by the minute. 

"Your heart rate is elevated. And your face is getting warmer." 

Ah, crap.

"Just my luck. Stuck with the only two people in the world I can't lie to." He smiled half-heartedly. 

"Kai..."

"Okay, okay. I was having another... 'episode'. But then the pain just stopped and the color went white. It's still glowing a little, look."

The red ninja lifted up his shirt, unfazed by the cold thanks to his fire powers, to reveal the weak white light, too weak to show the blush on Zane's cheeks at Kai's toned body.

With the glow dying down, they were soon sitting in the darkness again. They stayed silent for a few minutes trying to sleep, but neither of them could fall asleep anymore.

"So, uh, Zane. Wanna play a game ? To pass the time until Nya's done." Kai asked. Regretting instantly because of how ridiculous he sounded, he was about to backtrack when Zane answered in a hushed voice.

"I'd very much like to. What game do you have in mind ?"

Crap, he didn't think he'd get this far. He hadn't really thought this through first...

"Um... How about... Two Truths And A Lie ? Nya and I used to play it all the time as kids. We never won, though, being siblings and all."

The white ninja closed his eyes for a second. "Yes, I do have informations on it in my database. It sounds like fun." Opening his eyes again, he smiled. "Would you like to start ?"

"Yeah, sure. Okay. One, I'm good at beatboxing. Two, I've destroyed my tastebuds by eating too much spicy food. Three, I almost died once because of an allergic reaction to a bee sting."

"Off to a strong start, I see," Zane joked, making Kai chuckle. "These all seem plausible, but I think I will choose the third option."

"Haha, gotcha ! I don't know how to beatbox !" 

To prove his point, the fire elemental started beatboxing, but it sounded more like he was blowing raspberries while making very bad robotic sound effects.

Zane laughed. Kai proudly smiled. "Okay, okay, your turn now !"

"Alright," the master of ice said, catching his breath. "One, I brush my hair often. Two, I could change my eye color if I wanted. Three, I've already frozen someone by accident. They were fine after the ice melted, I promise."

"What ? No way you froze someone !"

"Wrong. Jay will never admit it but he surprised me one time and... Well, let's say he gave me the cold shoulder for a while after that." They chuckled at the bad pun.

"Man, blackmail material on Jay is the best. Wait, then what's the lie ?"

Zane ran his fingers through his hair. "It's designed to never get entangled, so I almost never brush it. There, try."

He took Kai's hand and put it on the top of his head. Ignoring how the softness of the material gave him butterflies, the red ninja ruffled his teammate's hair, trying to make a mess out of it. Without success.

"Lucky. You wouldn't believe the time I lose doing mine."

"It looks good in the end, so I wouldn't say time was lost." Kai could almost see the ice ninja's fond smile in his voice.

"Oh, um, you think so ?" He was getting flustered. Not good. He put a hand of his chest to hide any light that might appear.

"I do." If he kept using this voice and complimenting him, he'd soon set the tent on fire. He had to think of something else.

"Okay, well uh, thank you and I think it's my turn !" He said, so fast he almost didn't understand what came out of his own mouth. "That is correct," his teammate responded, although a slight disappointment in his tone.

"Right, um." He cleared his throat nervously. "One, I once burned out an entire forest while on a trip. Two, I ate coal on a dare. Three, I almost got dragged in a fire worshipping cult."

"Oh, this one is quite easy ! Nya already told us about the Society of the Phoenix. And I know for a fact you already burned a forest, since, well, I was also present." He made finger guns at Kai. "Number two is the lie."

"True. Ugh, can't believe I lost first." 

Given his situation he wasn't exactly in the best state of mind but he at least hoped he'd come up with something good. You'd believe Kai would be used to thinking under pressure by now, but since he isn't used to thinking at all, pressure didn't help.

"This wasn't much of a challenge. Let me show you how it is done." He hummed a moment, trying to find inspiration.

"One, you can't hear them, but my fans are blowing at full speed right now. Two, I've never lied. Three, I have romantic feelings towards a fiery elemental master."

"Heh, that's easy too. The lie is number three."

"Wrong." 

Kai's brows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, then what..." He cut himself off, realising the implications. "You mean-"

Suddenly, the entrance became wide open, and a tired Nya appeared. 

"Okay guys, next person to keep watch." She noticed how hot the hair was, and how flustered her brother looked. "Did I- Did I interrupt something ? I can wait a bit longer-"

"No, nothing !" Kai came out of the tent, putting on a sweater in a hurry. "I'm keeping watch, see ya !"

Rushing next to the campfire, he tried to release some tension by blowing bright flames into it. It didn't work. He couldn't get Zane's answer out of his mind. 

Wrong.

Was it possible that Zane liked him ? Or was there another 'fiery elemental master' ? Unlikely, but still.

Maybe Zane was messing with him by telling him three lies. He couldn't hear the fans too, so they were probably off. Because there was no way Zane liked the mess Kai was. Zane was so perfect and he was just... Him. They had been friends for a long time and he could see everyday how their personalities clashed with eachother. They were polar opposites. 

But for a master of ice, he sure warmed Kai's heart. 

Maybe too much. His chest was lighting up. Fighting through the pain, he held his breath until it disappeared. It left him panting.

This was going to be a long night.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"Hey, Zane. Wake up. Your turn."

Zane could see the blurred silhouette of the ninja at the entrance of the tent. He could sense how exhausted he was.

"Are you alright ?" The nindroid asked.

The fire elemental simply nodded. Zane's metaphorical heart sank. He was clearly upset. 

Reaching out to him, he put a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "You know you can talk to me." 

His friend, relaxing into the touch, sighed deeply to let out some tension. 

"I just want to sleep."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

Leaving his friend with a heavy heart, he sat next to the flames, hoping this was just temporary and he hadn't permanently damaged their friendship. Maybe he should be more careful with expressing his feelings from now on.


	4. Worsening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh I know it's been a while but uh I had what the professionals call a loss of motivation hahaha 👉👈
> 
> But anyways enjoyyy

It was not the best morning they had.

Nya was keeping an eye on her two teammates, who seemed colder than before to eachother. Did something happen ? They were both clearly upset.

"Guys, is everything okay ?" 

They both nodded in response, glancing at the other for a second then turning away. So no, they weren't okay. Especially Zane, trying to avoid talking to her brother.

'Ugh, what did Kai do this time...'

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

"Next stop: the Embers. It's an environment made of stones of a red so vibrant they were mistaken for embers when they were discovered. It is also located above underground lava chambers. A fair amount of wild creatures live here, so we'll have to be careful and not provoke any of them."

"Understood." Nya said. She nudged her brother who, startled, muttered a unconvincing 'got it'. 

Zane put the map back in Nya's satchel and started walking, leading the group.

Nya didn't press the issue further with the ninja. She knew the ice elemental wouldn't tell her what happened anyway, or just say it wasn't Kai's fault. Which was often false. But his soft spot for her brother made him believe otherwise a lot of the time.

They could both cause their fair bit of trouble, especially given how oblivious they both were. She'd have to keep an eye on them.

As they left the forest, the strange climate within it seemed to disappear: the snow was melting everywhere, and the trees were fewer in numbers. The sky was also less cloudy and you could see its beautiful blue. The air was still pure and cold, though it was getting warmer as they got closer to the Embers.

Playing with the last puffs of white smoke forming from her breath, Nya innocently let the boys walk past her and distanced herself enough so she wouldn't be close to them but still able to hear their conversations. With a little bit of luck, they'd forget she was there and start talking. 

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Zane was pretty much silent, Kai had noticed. Unless he was giving information or telling them to be careful, he wasn't talking. Normally, the nindroid was be pretty chatty on missions, describing historical landmarks or sharing research he'd made beforehand on whatever they were pursuing. 

But now he was silent.

The red ninja's stomach was soon twisting with worry. Did he hurt Zane's feelings somehow ? Yeah, it was probably his fault. It often was, anyway.

Getting closer to Zane, Kai took a side glance at his teammate, particularly his face. Unreadable expression for a stranger, but the hothead had lived with him long enough to recognise that look. Eyes glazed over, their light dimmer, mouth slightly dropping at the corners... Things that at first glance seemed like your average robot expression. But Zane isn't a robot. He's a nindroid. He feels.

And right now, he felt upset.

"Hey, Snowflake ?" He asked gently. Zane tensed up at the nickname. "You okay ?"

The ice elemental paused for a few seconds, seemingly deciding what he should answer. "I am... Fine," he ended up answering.

"You don't look fine," Kai muttered.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." 

The red ninja could sense how Zane controlled his voice. The nindroid usually did that to avoid voice cracks, for which he got teased a lot by Jay when they started training. Now, Kai regretted not doing anything to stop him.

"I know you, Zane. I can tell when you're upset."

"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think."

Offended, Kai huffed. "What's that supposed to mean ?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Zane turned away from Kai, making his heart ache. His chest was starting to get hotter too. Was it the flames or just his emotions ? He couldn't tell right now.

"No. You're acting weird. What's going on ?"

"Acting weird ? Funny coming from the one who literally ran out in the cold to keep watch without an explanation."

"Is that what you're upset about ? Me running off ?"

"Not just that." Zane sighed. This was getting slippery. He'd better put an end to the conversation now or it'll get awkward again, and he wasn't sure how it'd affect the state of their already shaken up bond. "But I don't want to burden you with it, so please, let's just change the subject."

Oh no, they weren't going to change the subject. Kai cared too much about the nindroid to drop it like that. Something was bothering him and he wasn't going to let that go on any longer.

"Dude, you're my friend," he objected. "I care about you. And you're not doing me any favors because seeing you upset is worse than whatever you could tell me."

Zane's expression softened. How he wished he could talk about it... But no. He wasn't going to let his feelings affect their relationship again.

"I'm sorry but I can't."

Kai tried arguing some more but a jolt of pain cut him off. He swore under his breath. Now, of all times ? 

After a few sexonds it wasn't just painful anymore. It was burning. A small thread of smoke started coming out of his chest, the orange glow leaning dangerously towards red.

"H-Hurts," He hissed between his teeth and fell down to his knees.

"Kai !" His teammates yelled.

Without wasting any time, Zane put his hand on top of Kai's gi and formed a layer of frost. As the ice slowly melted, the light turned white again, and soon enough the red ninja could breathe again.

He shakily undid his gi, revealing his chest- and the burns covering it. They were almost gone thanks to Kai's powers boosting his healing speed, but they were still there. 

After a couple of minutes of sitting still and Zane checking Kai's vitals, Nya broke the silence. 

"We're running out of time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now remember kids: you should never put ice on a burn, or even ice-cold water (use lukewarm or cool water). Zane did it because 1) Kai's chest was close to being on FIRE and 2) he knows he could handle it.
> 
> There that's all :D


End file.
